


Shattered

by TymBunn



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Boop-ing, Can be seen as platonic, Childhood Trauma, Confessions, Crying, F/M, Grimm attacks, Mention of Death, Or romantic, Possible Spoilers, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), Snow, mention of canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:36:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7162655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TymBunn/pseuds/TymBunn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ren and Nora think about Pyrrha, about JNPR, and some tears are shed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shattered

"Ren, I'm scared."

They had strayed from the campsite, not too far that they couldn't see the orange glow of the fire but far enough that voices from either end would be lost in the trees and wind in between. The shattered moon reflected it dull glow down into the bare forest, casting long shadows that faded into one and another before disappearing fully as they grew thicker. Snow sat awkwardly around them from where they had cleared it, crisply cold and shiny. Suddenly, the forest dropped away, and soon after that the earth itself. In the darkness, the cliff seemed like the edge of the world itself. It was if they could fall into the darkness that was tacky like tar and never escape whatever nightmare was waiting if it could conquer the one they were already living.

Nora's feet were just dangling off the edge of the abyss. Ren was much more careful, sitting cross legged a bit back from the ginger girl. Nora let out a small giggle that was filled with nerves, her breath coming out in short huffs that were foggy in the air before mingling into the night sky. She didn't laugh at it for once. Ren's was much steadier, but he still kept his eyes averted as if it was a crime to look at the other. For all the years they had known each other each tell was as clear as crystal.

"Me too."

Silence stretched on further, and to Nora it seemed to take as long as it took for her wishes to reach the stars before it was broken.

"It's like before, Nora, the emptiness."

For a moment the serenity cracked like a mirror. The white snow was soaked red, rose petals drifted eerily through the air: a stark contrast to the screams. For a moment they were kids again, holding one another as a single Huntress fell, only to be consumed along with everything they ever knew by the fire and Grimm. Their red eyes glowering in the darkness that would haunt their essence for years upon years to come.

They were considered among the losses, and like the Huntress, they were only briefly mourned by nobody.

The emptiness that followed was like a hole right through their souls, a scene from a fairy-tale crushed before them. Two children didn't understand how the world worked besides it was cruel and bit anyone who didn't learn how to bite first.  
But the lucky thing about emptiness was that it took what it could - the perfect shield towards anything.

Even love.

"Some shields crack Jaune," Pyrrha had warned, though now the pair kept the words ringing in their hearts. It was more than simple advice; it was what made them lower their shields to create JNPR. 

Now it had morphed into something wrong, the worst thing to remember her by. A shield as strong as hers didn't crack. It fragmented, sending shrapnel too deep to be pulled out. It just had to be healed over and left to ache.

The snow crunched under Nora's hand as she slowly moved back, tear-filled eyes still fixated on the moon surrounded by its sea of stars. Focusing on the imperfect moon made the tears a bit easier to survive as the hot droplets slid down her cheeks.

Nora didn't even have to check, sliding into Ren's comforting hold with little sobs that soon turned into loud wails only muffled by the now-wet fabric of his shirt. Nora felt his own tears sliding into her hair where his face was buried, the small tremors that shook his body. Their pain was echoed by each other.

They didn't know when it started, but soon their halo of snowflakes formed. They shifted, a shock pulsing through them as the cold touch warmth, and with the thought a few more tears slid down Nora's cheeks. The smile Ren gave her afterwards brought out the tiniest of laughs from her, like a heartbeat of a hummingbird. With frozen fingers she reached out, brushing them lightly against his nose once. 

"Boop." Nora whispered, and she collapsed back into his chest.


End file.
